CHINESE ETHNICITY AND BACKGROUND Languages spoken …

[Pages:9]CHINESE ETHNICITY AND BACKGROUND

Languages spoken and primary place of origin

Mandarin PRC, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore

Cantonese Hong Kong, PRC (Guandong), Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Christmas Island

Hokkein Malaysia, Singapore

Hakka Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei

Teo-chieu Thailand

Communication

Social roles may influence interactions, because of the potential for `loss of

face'. Loss of face brings shame to the whole family.

Chinese people may not talk about their problems, especially psychosocial

ones, because they may assume that westerners will not understand their

culture or experiences.

Avoiding eye contact, shyness and passivity are cultural norms for many Chinese people.

Many people will avoid saying

no because they consider it

impolite.

Open discussion about

sexuality is often considered a

taboo.

A doctor of the same sex is preferred by most Chinese, especially women.

Health related beliefs and practices

Health beliefs and profiles of the descendants of Chinese migrants who

arrived a number of generations ago are often similar to those of AngloCeltic Australians.

Food, illness and medications are usually classified as `hot' or `cold'

according to the perceived effects on the body. Health is believed to be a balance of positive (yang) and negative (yin) energy in the body. Chi refers to the life force or energy in the body.

Some Chinese may attribute illness to:

- disharmony of body elements (eg. an excess of hot or cold foods) - moral retribution by ancestors or deities for misdeeds or negligence - cosmic disharmony, as may occur if a person's combination of year of

birth, month of birth, day of birth and time of birth (the Eight characters) clash with those of someone in their family - interference from evil forces such as malevolent ghosts and spirits, or impersonal evil forces - poor Feng Shui, (ie. the impact of the natural and built environment on the fortune and wellbeing of inhabitants).

Many people will use traditional Chinese medical treatments including

acupuncture, acupressure and Chinese herbs. Dietary therapy and supernatural healing (eg. through a fortune teller, Feng Shui practitioner or temple medium) may also be used. Modern versions of traditional medicines are available through Chinese grocery stores in all major Australian cities.

Population in Australia: 206,588 people

Population in Queensland: 15,060 people

Population in Brisbane: 11,420 people

Gender ratio: 82.3 males per 100 females

Median age: 46.4 years

Age

%

0-14

3.5

15-24

22.9

25-44

37.2

45-64

24.5

65

12.3

The term Chinese includes diverse communities and individuals, sometimes having no more in common than ancestral heritage.

The main ethnicities of people born in China are Chinese and Russian.

Up to 65% of people speaking a language other than English at home are proficient in English.

Common religious affiliations include Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Although, many people have no religious affiliation.

Places of transition: Brunei, Christmas Island (Australia), Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Chinese settlement has taken place in Australia from the mid-19th century, with most people coming from southeast China (Guandong). Many Chinese in Australia are descendants of people who migrated here more than one hundred years ago. Over the past 20 years, Chinese people have arrived from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and elsewhere in Indochina. More recently, immigrants have arrived from Taiwan and the People's Republic of China.

Pregnancy

Many Chinese people, when they are ill or pregnant, assume a `sick

role' in which they depend heavily on others for assistance. This means that some health care providers may be seen as uncaring because they encourage independence rather than catering directly to the wishes of the patient.

Pregnancy and especially childbirth are believed to disturb the balance

of hot and cold required for good health. Because of this, various dietary and behavioural practices are customary to keep the mother and baby physically healthy including: - eating special soups and chicken/chicken broth - not eating lamb because of the belief that it may cause the baby to

have epilepsy (pronunciation of word lamb is similar to the word for epilepsy in some Chinese languages) - not eating pineapple because it is believed to cause miscarriage.

Birth

Many Chinese people believe that a woman should not cry out or

scream during labour.

Women may experience distress if not given a choice between cultural

traditions and western practices.

Women may prefer sitting or squatting to give birth. Ideally, the labouring woman's mother or mother-in-law attends

childbirth, rather than the father of the child. This practice varies among communities.

After birth

Some women may observe a period of confinement after birth, during

which they rest, dress warmly, limit showers, and eat only foods classed as hot. These ideas conflict with Australian medical ideas which recommend early ambulation and showering after birth. Staff may need to discuss the option of exercises to avoid deep vein thrombosis while in bed (eg. bending knees, moving legs).

According to some customs in Guandong and Hong Kong, postpartum

women may not eat with other family members for up to one month due to the notion of pollution linked to lochial discharge. For the same reason, postpartum women may abstain from sexual relations.

Infant care

Women are often expected to follow certain traditional practices

advocated by older female relatives. However, practical constraints mean that many Chinese women opt for an approach to child-rearing which combines practices from both Australian and Chinese culture.

Infants may be over-wrapped and slept in prone position. Many Chinese people believe that infants should not be dressed in

used clothing as the baby may take on the characteristics of those that wore the clothes previously. Therefore, the family may bring new clothing for the baby instead of dressing the baby in hospital clothing. Disposable shirts may be acceptable.

 Infants may be separated from their mother for at least the first 24 hours. This tradition is

practiced to allow the postpartum woman to rest. The Australian practice of leaving infants with their mother should be discussed with women of Chinese background. The woman should be informed that the required infant care could be provided by health professionals if she wishes to rest.

Some women believe that if a newborn child is praised, bad spirits will take the infant away

or the child will fall ill.

Grandmothers, particularly the father's mother, are often very involved with the new infant

and the new mother's recovery. Their authoritative positions should be acknowledged when caring for the mother and during teaching sessions.

The `Mongolian blue spot' ? a bluish pigmentation in the lumbo-sacral region ? is common

at birth among Indo-Chinese and other Asian babies, and persists until the age of 18 months or two years.

Infant feeding

Colostrum may be considered stale or dirty and discarded. Staff may need to explain the

benefits of colostrum feeding and encourage women to feed their infant.

Babies may be fed with boiled rice water or formula instead of colostrum during the first two

days.

In 2006, of the 282 Chinese-born women who gave birth in Queensland Health facilities, at

the time of discharge, 68% (193) exclusively breastfed, 24% (67) breastfed and formula fed, and 8% (22) exclusively formula fed.

References Becker, A.E. & Lee, D.T.S.

2002. Indigenous models for attenuation of postpartum depression: case studies from Fiji and Hong Kong In A. Cohen, A. Kleinman & B. Saraceno (Eds.), World Mental Health Casebook: Social and Mental Health Programs in Low-Income Countries (pp. 221-236). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum. Dixon, G. 1992. Colostrum avoidance and early infant feeding in Asian societies. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1, 225-229. Pillsbury, B. 1982. Doing the month: confinement and convalescence of Chinese women after childbirth. In M. A. Kay (Ed.), Anthropology of Human Birth (pp. 119-146). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company. The University of Queensland. 1998. Cultural diversity: a guide for health professionals. Brisbane: The University of Queensland.

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